Sofia.
I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and made my way to the bathroom to wash my face and freshen up.
I glanced at the mirror meeting my puffy slightly red-rimmed eyes and reddened cheeks, my hair untamed and dark shopping bags under my eyes.
And my neck.
A light purple bruise adorning it, provoking me to wince when I skimmed my fingers on it too hard.
Crying before sleeping was absolute shit and the bruising on my throat was even worse.
I looked like a raccoon high on crack.
After combing my hair through the rough tangled mess that it was. A loud knock resonated from the other side of the door, my eyes snapped to its direction feeling my hand grip the counter with force.
I didn't want to be bothered and for sure shit didn't want to see them.
The damned three.
"дорогой, you need to wake up now, please," Anne's soft heavily accented voice contained my attention through the door remindi

Author's POV.
Peering at Sofia's sleeping figure curled up to his brother. Nial sighed out of relief and turned to Nikolai that was frowning, eyebrows furrowed and his eyes deep in thought. His lips pulled in a taut line.
"О чем ты думаешь, брат?" Nial inquired of his troubled brother.
(What are you thinking of, brother?)
Sighing defeatedly, Nikolai glanced briefly at his sibling muttering ruefully, his voice raw with sadness."Я-я сделал ей больно, но она простила меня, разве мы ее заслужили?"
(I-I hurt her, yet she forgave me. Do we even deserve her?)
Nial knew how much of an overthinker and how insecure Nikolai was but he didn't want to lie to him and sufficed with consoling him without truly answering his question.
It wasn't manipulation when it protected his feelings and sometimes avoiding problems was better than facing them.
"Она простила тебя. Так что не переусердствуйте. Мы уже д

Nikolai.
I lost control.
I couldn't believe that I hurt her.
Guilt wasn't something I felt often. Especially since our line of work didn't really require showing your emotions or acting upon them.
We were more than used to not feeling anything. Stuck in a limbo of violence, chaos and numbness without a guide.
No light just absolute darkness and sin.
And we had been lonely since I could remember it would've explained our lack of...understanding if you will.
Our 'birth givers' weren't exactly the most sentimental, caring or loving parents. They trained us to be leaders since birth and trust me they surely made that happen.
We weren't like other kids.
I mean sure our father was The Pakhan as in the leader of the damn Bratva. He was expected to be a bit rough on us but the son of a bitch deprived us of our say in that matter and decided to fucking train us to be his little puppets and take o

Sofia.
I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and made my way to the bathroom to wash my face and freshen up.
I glanced at the mirror meeting my puffy slightly red-rimmed eyes and reddened cheeks, my hair untamed and dark shopping bags under my eyes.
And my neck.
A light purple bruise adorning it, provoking me to wince when I skimmed my fingers on it too hard.
Crying before sleeping was absolute shit and the bruising on my throat was even worse.
I looked like a raccoon high on crack.
After combing my hair through the rough tangled mess that it was. A loud knock resonated from the other side of the door, my eyes snapped to its direction feeling my hand grip the counter with force.
I didn't want to be bothered and for sure shit didn't want to see them.
The damned three.
"дорогой, you need to wake up now, please," Anne's soft heavily accented voice contained my attention through the door reminding me of the plans that the trio set in place.
(Dear)
Taking me to their home.
"Okay, I'll be out in

Chapter 12